Manzanar Baseball Field

Manzanar Baseball Field. Play Ball!. , Here at Manzanar's main baseball field, thousands of fans gathered for epic match-ups between the Scorpions, Padres, Has Beens, and other teams in the camp's 12 leagues. Baseball was a powerful symbol of an American way of life that boosted morale and brought some sense of normalcy to a confined community. By summer 1942, nearly 100 men's and 14 women's softball teams were playing a full schedule of games. Teams like the San Fernando Aces and San Pedro Gophers came intact from their pre-war communities while other teams formed in camp. The ManzaKnights grew out of a popular young men's social club while older men formed their own league. Women's teams included the Dusty Chicks and Modernaires. , Internees joined sports of virtually every kind , basketball, volleyball, tennis, judo, sumo, weight-lifting and golf , to combat boredom and stay active. But baseball was king! "Without baseball," said one internee, "life at Manzanar would have been miserable." , Stopping Fire , Camp planners left wide spaces like this one empty to prevent the rapid spread of fire. Intersecting at every four blocks, firebreaks offered welcome "breathing space" in the crowded camp. They were used for sports fields, parks, Victory Gardens, an outdoor theater, as well as for special events such as the annual Obon festival. , "Putting on a baseball uniform was like wearing the American flag." , -Takeo Suo